Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-28
DAILY HERALD.
M'KENZIE'S TRIAL.
Charged With Robbing the
POstOffice
OF A REGISTERED LETTER.
Testimony of the Various Wit
nesscs for the PrOseecut On.-
Nothing Established.

NOtulH2 EStdblloHCNs
Bert A. Mckenzie was yesterday
placed on trial in the United States
Court before Judge Ross. charged with
having ON the 9th OF May last taken
\ certain registered package from the
Postoflice which was addressed to the
Postmaster at Santa Monica, McKen-
zic being clerk in the Office at the
time under the administration of Mr..
Green. He is defended by Stephen
M. White, while the prosecution is
ably represented by J. Marion Brooks,
the United States District Attorney.
The package was OF the value OF
$40, and at the time of the loss cir
cumstances pointed strongly to Nc
Kenzie as being in some way account
able for it, in consequence of which
he was arrested by the United States
Marshal on June list, but released on
bail of 5000.
Martha A. Finn, the Postmistress at
Santa Monica. was sworn, and stated
that she had resided at that place for
four years, and had been Postmistress
for that time. On the 9th of May
she had received the dispatch card
only, showing that q registered pack
age should have been received, but
none accompanied the card. She did
not keep the card, but returned it ON
the next mail, when it was discovered
that the package was missing.
The mail pouch did not contain the
registered package to which the dis
patch card referred. The mail pouch
was in perfect order and had it con-
tanned the package it could not have
been lost in her Office, as she gave
such matters her personal attention,
and took special pains to look for the
package when the pouch first arrived:
John C. Morgan was sworn and
stated that he had resided in Santa
Monica for two years, having been
deputy postmaster during that time,
and that on the day in question, the
eth of May, he had assisted his sis
ter-in-law in opening the mail, and
the thing most looked for was regis
tered package which did not appear.
The dispatch card appeared, how
ever, to show that a registered pack
age should have been received. The
next morning he came to Los Angeles
and took the card to Mr.. Green, stat
ing to him that the package had not
been received.
Mr.. Green called in several Of the
employees to see who had handled the
package last, and Mckenzie stated
that he had placed the package in the
Santa Monica pouch, but did not know
who had locked it. Mr.. Green, the
Postmaster, and the deputy Postmas-
ter were present at the time.
He stated that the dispatch
card which always accompanies a
registered package was tied up in a
bundle of letters, while it was usual
to place it in the large envelope con-
tanning the registered matter. The
pouch upon its arrival, he stated, was
in n perfect condition and did not bear
the appearance OF having been tam
pered with, it being usual to place the
pouch in baggage car at Los Angeles
and it was not opened until it arrived
ut Santa Monica, where the mail was
distributed by himself and Miss Finn,
his sister-in-law.
j. w. Green, the former Postmaster,
WAS called and when sworn stated
that he had been a resident of the
city for about five years, and in that
time had been Postmaster OF Los An
geles, and that on the 9th OF May Il
Registered package had been lost.
His assistant had charge OF the floor.
He sent for Mr.. Blake, Mr.. Taylor and
Mr.. Mckenzie, three mailing clerks,
to ascertain something respecting the
lost pack ,ge. He traced it to Mr..
Mckenzie and asked him if he had
locked the Santa Monica pouch and
he replied that he had not. He knew
that Mr.. Mckenzie denied strenuous
ly having locked the pouch, stating
also that he did not know who had
locked it, admitting, however, that he
had received the letter from Mr.. Blake
and had receipted for it. He had
known Mr.. Mckenzie since about the
2Sd of April but had not known hin
prior to that time. He was paid 8
SALARY of $40 per month. 1t was one
of the rules of the Office that the chic
mailing clerk should have charge o.
all registered matter, and that when.
ever u package changed hands or went
from one department to another, q re-
ceipt should invariably be taken. He
had insisted upon the observance o.
the rule, giving special order to thet
effect about the 26th of April, but he
knew upon this occasion it had beer
disregarded, and the clerk was dis
charged therefor. He had missed
packages on the Goth of April, the 18th
ID May, 2lst of May, and 9th OF May
and had been informed of the loss o
the package in question by Mr.. Nc
Gurtly, an assistant
Mckenzie had been discharged the
day after the loss had been discovered
which ne reported to the U. S. District
Attorney and to the authorities at San
Francisco.
Recess was then taken until P. NJ
AFTERNOON SESSION.
In, the afternoon Mr.. Green re-
s,amed the stand. being requested te
state by the District Attorney the
number Of losses that had occurred
from the time Mckenzie entered the
Office until his discharge. This was
objected by counsel for the defense
the District Attorney persisting in ths
right to put the question on the grount
that he wished to show that the mum
erous losses occurred during McKen
zie's connection with the office and no
after be had been discharged. Afte
considerable discussion the objection
was sustained. (Mr. Green here pro
duced as evidence for the prosecution
the register containing the receipt o
Mckenzie for the package with hi
signature, which was admitted by th'
defense to be genuine.)
Mr.. McCurdy the Deputy Postmast
or was next called and stated that, a
such officer, he had charge OF the reg